


Let the Games Begin

by ProSkellyArcher



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Vocaloids - Fandom
Genre: 77th Hunger Games, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Alternate Universe - No Rebellion, F/M, Katniss is Mentor, Murder, Prim Dies, Suicide, Violent, Vocaloids, What if Peeta Died, What if there had been no Rebellion, peeta dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-07
Packaged: 2018-04-13 12:30:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4522011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProSkellyArcher/pseuds/ProSkellyArcher
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Katniss Everdeen had never pulled out the berries, because she couldn't save Peeta from death? What if she won the Quarter Quell alone, losing both her mentor and her lover? What if her sister were reaped for the 76th Annual Hunger Games? What if she died as well?</p><p>What if President Snow still lives, tearing apart families piece by piece with his precious little Hunger Games?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

24 metal plates.

A ticking clock.

A faraway voice counting down from 60.

24 innocent children.

"Let the Games begin!"

—-

Len shoots up from his bed, terrified by his frighteningly realistic dream. His hands grip his head as he looks down, trying to pacify himself.

"Len?"

A soft voice reaches his ears in the darkness. Slowly he looks up, seeing the faint outline of his sister.

"Rin, I-"

"Len, it's fine." He can hear the floor creaking as his sister walks over to his bed. She climbs over to him and hugs him. "Did you have that dream again?"

Len gulps and nods. "Yeah... yeah I did."

"It's alright. They're not gonna reap either of us." Rin says into her brother's shoulder, her voice muffled.

"Will you..." Len trails  off, thankful that his sister can't see the red leaking into his cheeks.

"Yeah?" Rin pulls away.

"Will you stay with me?" He can feel Rin's eyes boring into his own.

"Yeah." She crawls under the covers beside him, still looking at him.

"Always." She whispers.

~~~

The knife splinters the wood with a satisfying crack.

Gumi steps back and squints at the tree in the dim light of dawn. She knows that a lowly girl from District 7 is never going to be chosen, but she practices her knife throwing daily. Even more every Reaping.

Like today.

Gumi walks over to the tree and tugs on the knife until it frees itself. She lifts the blade up to eye level and inspects it closely. She runs her finger over the dull edge and sighs.

Looking up at the rising sun, she decides to head inside and fix herself up for the Reaping. Best to look nice.

She weaves through the trees like a deer through a forest. It should be natural for her to do this, especially since she lives in the lumber district. As soon as she arrives at her home, she throws her now dull knife into the bush beside her door. If her mother knew she had such a weapon...

"Where have you been?!" A voice calls out harshly, stopping Gumi in her tracks.

"Uh... I tried walking off the nerves?" Gumi calls back to her mother, though it came out more as a question than an answer. Luckily, her mother didn't notice.

"You know you were supposed to be getting you and your brother ready!"

"Mother, the reaping isn't for another hour and a half. I'm sure we'll manage."

"How dare you disobey me!" Tlhe woman steps towards her daughter and slaps her on the face. "Now get in there and get ready." She points at the house. Gumi oblidges to her mother's wishes and steps in the house. As she does, she swears she hears crying from behind her.

~~~

"There now, Adidas, good boy..." Mayu talks to the horse calmly, patting his jaw gently. "I have to go now, you be good for Father and Neru, okay?" The horse bobs his head up and down, as if understanding the thirteen year old. She smiles at him, and walks off.

Once inside, Mayu brushes the thin layer of dust off of her dress, the one her mother had given her the day before she died. 

"How's Adidas?" Neru, Mayu's older sister asks.

"He's better, his leg is healing up nicely." Mayu says as she links arms with her fifteen year old sister.

"We have to wait for Father." Neru says, stopping Mayu from walking outside.

"Oh, right." Mayu gives a sheepish smile, and both her and Neru laugh. In a few minutes, their father emerges from his room, and smiles at his two daughters.

"Shall we go?" He asks. Both girls nod, and the motherless family heads to the District 10 square for the Reaping.

~~~

"Ri-"

"I VOLUNTEER!"

Kaito's voice rips through the crowd, though his words were expected. Almost always an older child volunteers after years of training.

"Oh goodie! We have a volunteer!" The escort, Lulu exclaims as Kaito stands beside her on the stage. "What is your name, young man?"

"My name is Kaito and I am 18 years old." With that, he sits beside the female tribute, a 17 year old girl with short, brown hair. "Didn't think they'd pick you out of everyone else, Meiko." He says.

Meiko gives him a glare. "Why? Don't think I'm strong enough?"

"Sure, let's go with that." Kaito says, holding back a grin. Meiko just shakes her head and turns away.

After that, they are escorted to the Justice Building to say goodbye to their loved ones.


	2. Chapter 2

"Good evening, Capitol citizens! I am Sweet Ann, your Anchor of this year's Games. Well today has been quite a day! The Reapings for the 77th Annual Hunger Games have been going on throughout the 12 districts today, and may I say, this year's tributes are an interesting handful!

"From District 1, Miku and Al.   
From District 2, Meiko and Kaito.  
From District 3, Maika and Kiyoteru.  
From District 4, Luka and Gakupo.  
From District 5, Aoki and Piko.  
From District 6, IA and Yohio.  
From District 7, Gumi and Yuuma.  
From District 8, SeeU and Bruno.  
From District 9, Lily and Leon.  
From District 10, Mayu and Dell.  
From District 11, Teto and Oliver.  
And lastly, from District 12, Rin and Len.

"I'd have to say, District 12's Reaping was by far my favorite this year! First of all, the two tributes happen to be TWINS, and in the spur of the moment Len volunteered! Wow, that's unheard of for District 12.

"That's all for now! I'm Sweet Ann, and may the odds be EVER in your favor!"

~~~

She's terrified. 

She promised her mother, she promised!

She even took tesserae, knowing that her name would be in more than four times. And now she failed her, and her brother.

"Gumi?"

The fifteen year old looks up at the closed door.

"Come out. Your mentor wants to speak with you."

Reluctantly, Gumi gets off of the bed and opens the door. Whoever was there disappeared. She shrugs and walks into the dining car.

Sitting with his back to her, is a man with red hair.

"Are you Gumi?" He turns around to face her.

She nods. "Yes."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Akaito, your mentor." He extends a hand to her. Gumi shakes it, still hesitant. The door opens, and the other tribute enters.

Yuuma, the boy with no last name.

"Are you Yuuma?" Akaito asks. The pink-haired boy just nods. "I'm your mentor, Akaito. Have a seat."

Yuuma takes the chair to my left, not even looking my way.

"Good. Now," Akaito smirks, "We can start."

~~~

The Remake Center, then the Tributes Parade, and finally the Training Center.

Rin feels embarassed, laying on the table almost stark naked while her prep team is removing almost every hair from her body, apart from her scalp. Her flesh is still burning from the odd lotion that had removed the top, damaged layer of skin.

"Don't worry, Rin, we're almost done." Octavia says, while ripping off a strip of wax. Rin winces, and nods.

Later, Rin sits alone in the room wearing only a thin, paper robe. The door opens, and Rin hurriedly covers herself, even though she's wearing the robe.

A man with teal hair steps inside, and looks her over. "Take the robe off." He commands.

"W-What?!" Rin asks, in utter disbelief.

"Please? I'm your stylist, I have to. Honestly, I'd rather not have you do it but they make me." The man says, his expression softening.

Rin pauses, looking away. She slowly slips the robe off, and her hands go to cover her chest in voluntarily. Luckily, the man doesn't tell her to take her arms down.

"Alright, put your robe on and follow me."

Rin breathes a sigh of relief and pulls the robe on. 

~~~

Mayu has never been more embarassed in her life.

"We're going to be in hides?!" Dell exclaims to their stylists, Luki and Haku.

"Yes." Haku nods, the stupid smile still on her face.

"You can't be serious!" Mayu says, "We'll be the laughing stock of the Capitol."

"Oh, that's not that big of a deal, dearie." Luki says. 

'I just wanna punch him in the face...' Mayu thinks to herself. 

Later, Mayu and Dell stand on their chariot, covered in nothing but rawhide. The two exchange looks of disgust, their faces turning red.

"Alright you two! Heads high, smile!" Haku says, standing below the chariot. Mayu nods, but Dell just looks ahead with a hard expression on his face.

"Alright, we'll leave now. Remember, smile!" Haku commands, then walks off.

And with that, the large doors in front of them open.

~~~

The crowd loves them!

Meiko and Kaito are dressed in silver gladiator uniforms, to reflect their District's reputation, not industry.

"Would you quit being so cocky?" Meiko asks, annoyed. "We're going to get sponsors no matter what."

"I know that," Kaito says, not breaking his smile, "but we can get more, can't we?"

Meiko emits an aggravated sigh. "I guess."


	3. Chapter 3

'I can't believe they put them in miner outfits...' Gumi thinks to herself, looking at the pair of twins from 12. At least her stylist thought of something different for her District; in previous years all of the tributes were dressed as trees.

The next thing she knows is that the 12 girl's blue eyes are meeting her gaze, and that her brows are furrowing in confusion. Gumi can tell she wants to say something, but her mentor takes her and her brother towards the staircase.

"Ah, Katniss Everdeen." Akaito says. Gumi jumps, out of surprise. "I remember her."

"Don't sneak up on me like that." She says.

"Heh, sorry." He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

"What's so special about her?" Gumi asks, trying to eliviate the silence.

"You've never heard of Katniss Everdeen?" He asks, honestly surprised. Gumi shakes her head in response. "She won the 74th AND 75th Annual Hunger Games. Volunteered for her sister but it wasn't enough."

She pauses. "What happened to her sister?"

"She was reaped for the Games last year. The frail little thing barely made it past the second week." Akaito's voice cracks, so she decides not to say anymore. Gumi knows that last year were the Games that he won, so something must have happened between him and Katniss Everdeen's little sister.

~~~

"So, we're not supposed to show our strengths?" Len asks.

"No, because then the other tributes will know your weaknesses." Their mentor, Katniss says. 

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Rin asks.

"Learn the survival skills, build a fire, make some snares. Most people die of natural causes than of murder anyway." Katniss explains.

The next day, the twins are dressed in red and black shirts with '12' printed on the backs and shoulders, and black leather pants.

"This isn't as bad as I thought it'd be." Len says as they make their way down to the basement. Even though they're early, they're still the last tributes to arrive. 

Just after the lady up front finishes what she's saying, she sends the tributes off. The boy from 2 immediately goes to the weapons, and the girl from 10 hurries to the foraging station.

"What do we do first?" Rin asks her brother.

"What Katniss told us to do- fire." Len points to a station over on the left where two other tributes are. The twins go over and join the girl from 7 and the boy from 5. Not a word is exchanged as the green-haired female creates a large fire and leaves wordlessly to the snare station. The twins exchange a look and continue what they were doing.

~~~

The sword finally comes to a rest at Kaito's side as he finishes mangling the dummies. He flashes an arrogant smile to Meiko, who stands behind him. She scoffs and grabs the sword from him.

"I thought I told you to quit being cocky." She seethes.

Kaito grabs her arm. "You need to stop acting." Now he's dead serious.

"I'm not acting. Let go of me, Shion." Meiko says, venom in her words.

"You can't run away from it, Sakine. You have to face it one day or another." Kaito says, his face taking on a grim expression.

Meiko stops in her tracks and slowly turns to the blue haired boy. "I vow, I will kill you if some other sorry bastard doesn't first." 

~~~

"So how old are you?" Miku asks Mayu, trying to start a conversation with a young girl as they work on knot-tying.

"I'm only thirteen." Mayu says, not looking up.

"Really?" Miku asks, putting the rope down. She pauses. "The Capitol is cruel." 

Mayu's eyes widen. "Do you want to be executed?!"

"I already have been, in a way." Miku says, a smile playing on her lips. "These Games are just 23 executions each year. I know that I won't be that one lucky one to come out alive."

"Don't think like that." Mayu scolds. "You could win if you tried."

"But then you couldn't."


	4. Chapter 4

Over that day and the next, Mayu learns important survival skills, but still knows nothing about holding a knife.

"You need to learn to handle a weapon, Mayu." Lenka, District 10's mentor says.

"But I don't want to hurt anyone." Mayu says, barely above a whisper.

"I know you don't, but you're in the Hunger Games. You're bound to have someone's blood on your hands."

A silent tear falls down Mayu's cheek.

"Besides, what if someone were to kill Miku?"

Over the past two days, Mayu and Miku had gotten to know each other more, and had become good friends. They both knew that it couldn't last, but they both wanted to do everything in their power to protect each other.

"Alright." 

Later that day, Mayu and Miku are at the archery station, shooting down glowing orange figures.

"You've gotten pretty good at this." Miku says, firing another arrow.

"Not as good as you." Mayu says.

"I've been training for years though. But for just one day you are amazing at archery."

"Thanks, but it just doesn't feel... right."

"Have you tried knife throwing?"

"Yeah, that didn't seem right either."

Miku screws her lips, then smiles. "I have an idea. Come over here."

The two girls replace their bows and Miku leads Mayu over to the ranged/melee weapons and picks up a spear. 

"Have you tried one of these?" Miku asks, brushing a stray teal hair out of her face. Mayu just shakes her head. "Here, lemme show you."

Miku gets in a stance with the spear raised over her right shoulder, and throws it at an oncoming glowing figure. It shatters into particles of light as the spear pierces it and impales the wall behind the used-to-be automated motion of light.

"I couldn't do that!" Mayu exclaims. 

"It's simple really," Miku says, handing the spear to the younger girl. "Just stand like... this." The teal-haired girl gets in the stance she was in earlier. Mayu imitates her as best as she can. "Perfect! Now hold the spear above your shoulder."

Mayu does as she's told and throws the spear right at a figure sprinting to the right. It hits the figure's stomach and orange lights particles fly.

"You are talented, Mayu!" Miku exclaims, her mouth agape. 

"I'm not that great..." Mayu's shoes suddenly become very interesting to her.

"Do you know how long it took for me to throw a spear? I was 12 when I picked one up, I was 14 when I finally got it to fly straight!" Miku exclaims. "If I weren't a tribute I'd definitely be betting on you."

~~~

Six nooses in three minutes.

She can do better. She can always push herself to do better.

Gumi begins again, furiously tying the ropes into lethal devices which could easily kill the strongest one in the Games.

She has a plan, a plan to kill them all and return home to her mother and younger sibling. 

The twins from 12 always seem to be following her, to the weapons and survival skills stations. 

Gumi can't let anyone get in the way of her plan, especially two blondes from the most run-down district in Panem.

~~~

"I don't get what her problem is." Len says to Katniss. Her grey eyes pierce the twins' blue ones, and she lets out a sigh.

"I can't say I blame her."

"What?" Len sputters.

"I never wanted allies either. But Peeta-" she chokes at the name, "Peeta did."

"Katniss, I-" Len starts to apologize, but Katniss puts a hand up.

"It's fine Len. It was my fault he died."

"Don't blame yourself Katniss." Rin steps in.

"You need to find allies." Katniss says, changing the subject abruptly. The twins exchange looks, and turn back to their mentor.

~~~

"I don't want to be like the rest!" Meiko complains.

"We're not going to get very far with just us, Meiko." Kaito shoots back.

"But we've been training for years, we can do this on our own!"

"Then you can go without anyone." 


	5. Chapter 5

The last day of training, where the tributes show their strengths privately to the Gamemakers.

Gumi only has one thing on her mind- make as many nooses in as little time possible. That's her plan to win this whole thing- put them all to their deaths by hanging. Even litle Oliver, Mayu, and the twins from 12.

After the automated female voice calls her name and district, she walks through the steel doors and into the empty Training Center. 

"Megpoid Gumi, District 7." She says as soon as the Gamemakers acknowledge her. Right away, she grabs ropes and begins tying as fast as she can. Within five minutes she's tied eight nooses, and hangs eight dummies on them- all within ten minutes. She looks up at the Gamemakers who are nodding.

"You are dismissed." The Head Gamemaker says.

~~~

For her private training session, Mayu throws spears and mixes together poison to put on a few arrows. Nothing much in her eyes, but the Gamemakers see different, especially since she's only 13. She is rewarded with applause and then she is dismissed.

"How do you think you did?" Lenka asks Mayu.

"Mediocre." Mayu replies.

"Really?" 

"Yeah, just some stuff that Miku taught me."

"We'll see..." 

~~~

"Kaito Shion, with a score of 9."

"Only a nine?!" Kaito stands up. "I could have done better!"

"Shut up and sit down." Meiko slaps him, making him take his seat again.

"Meiko Sakine, with a score of 10."

Meiko looks at the screen smigly while Kaito gives an aggravated sigh.

"Why so angry, Shion?" Meiko asks, trying to wipe the smirk off of her face.

"No reason." He says through gritted teeth, walking down the hall to his room.

"Someone is sure holding a grudge against you." Yuuki, the stylist says to to brunette tribute.

"More like the other way around." Meiko says, walking away herself.

~~~

"Len?"

The young boy looks up at his sister, who's staring at him from his door.

"Yeah Rin?"

Rin walks towards his bed and sits at the foot, while he sits up and looks her in the eye.

"How are we going to get by with 5's?" The worry in her voice is prominent.

He sighs, then motions for her to come closer. He hugs her as he says, "We will. We'll get through this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scores:  
> Miku- 7  
> Al- 8  
> Kaito- 9  
> Meiko - 10  
> Maika- 4  
> Kiyoteru- 5  
> Luka- 10  
> Gakupo- 9  
> Aoki- 2  
> Piko- 4  
> IA- 6  
> Yohio- 5  
> Gumi- 9  
> Yuuma- 8  
> SeeU- 6  
> Bruno- 7  
> Lily- 4  
> Leon- 6  
> Mayu- 9  
> Dell- 8  
> Teto- 3  
> Oliver- 7  
> Rin- 5  
> Len- 5


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm not going to put you through the same crap that Effie did me. All you need to know is how to walk and sit properly." Katniss says. "Which you do."

Rin looks down at herself, stifling a laugh. "Yeah..."

"So Effie is going to help Len, and I'll be helping you with your interview." 

"Okay."

The next four hours are spent asking and answering questions. To Rin, it's just an excersize for the following day, but to Katniss, it's a time where she learns about the young female tribute. And what a sad story it was.

"Effie? Do I really have to learn this?!" Len complains to the blue-haired escort.

"Yes yes, now up! We're going to go through it again!" Effie says, ignoring the boy's discomfort. Len groans inwardly at the thought.

~~~

Gumi looks at herself in the mirror, all dolled up. She wears a strapless black dress with a green center, green petticoats, and green trim. Also, to make it worse, a large green bow is stuck on the small of her back. Her feet are in short, green high heels and her arms are covered with black gloves up to her mid-upper arm. She gives an aggravated sigh.

"Alright, Gumi. One more thing!" Gakuko, her stylist says giddily. 

"Is this actually the last one?" Gumi deadpans, annoyed.

"Yes, I promise. I'll stop after this. Now sit down." The short, purple-haired girl gestures for the tribute to sit across from her. She quickly brings a little dark green mascara over Gumi's lashes, making every bit of green on her pop.

"Alright, I think you're ready. Knock 'em dead!" Gakuko says, giving the green haired girl a big smile.

Gumi walks away with a smirk on her face. 'You have no idea...'

~~~

Mayu strains her neck to see Miku on the stage with Sweet Ann. The tealette has her long hair in pigtails and is wearing a pink dress with a long slit cut up the side. Everytime the dress catches the light, it gives off a brilliant green shimmer.

Miku retreats from the stage and as she's passing all the tributes, she stops to hug the young female tribute from District 10. Mayu smiles, knowing it's strange. She feels a sort of... connection with Miku, similar to the one she had with her mother before she died of illness.

As Miku walks away with her escort and mentor, Mayu catches a look of disdain from the District 7 girl. She tries not to look the green-haired girl in the eyes, and turns around to look at the twins from 12. The girl is dressed in a fancy black and yellow dress, adorned with a sun-colored rose on her shoulder and on her black headband. The boy is wearing a black tuxedo with yellow accents, and also has a golden rose on his torso.

Compared to that, her own attire is nothing. All she wears is a single-sleeved white dress with pastel rainbow trim. A white bow that changes colors in the light is tied around her torso. It matches her hair which is braided around her head in a cascade-waterfall braid. 

Mayu turns around again, wishing that this would all be over.

~~~

"So, Kaito, tell me. Do you think you can win this?" Sweet Ann, the Master of Ceremonies asks.

Kaito flashes a smile at the crowd, confident in his blue and red-accented tux. "No, I don't."

"Oh really?" Sweet Ann tilts her head to the side, never losing her grin.

"I know I can."

"Ooh, we have a positive thinker here!"

"I've trained for eight years, and I can handle almost every weapon there is. I know I'll make it out alive." Kaito says.

The buzzer goes off and Sweet Ann sits up. "And that's all the time we have for you! Ladies and gentlemen, Kaito Shion, District 2!"

As Kaito exits the stage, he walks past an aggravted Meiko who is dressed in a rather puffy and large red dress.

"You just don't learn, do you?" She seethes at him.

"What'd I do?"

"'I know I can'? You fucking bastard." Meiko says, walking away obviously pissed by the snarky walk.

Kaito sighs. "When will you ever realize that I haven't given up on you..."


	7. Chapter 7

Gumi stares out at the Capitol, only one thought running through her mind. She has to win tomorrow, she has to. She didn't mean to become a killing machine, obsessed with hanging people, but that's how it has to be. She has to get home.

"Gumi?"

The sudden noise surprises the girl. She looks up to see her district partner, Yuuma. The boy with no last name.

"Can't sleep?" 

Gumi shakes her head as the boy sits across from her. "Death awaits tomorrow."

"That's a little... morbid." He replies.

"The Hunger Games is morbid."

"You're right."

The air is diseased with silence. 

"Sometimes I wonder why these Games have lasted this long." Yuuma speaks up.

"The Capitol doesn't know when to stop. It's all entertainment to them." The green-haired girl replies, not breaking her gaze from the star-scattered sky.

"Panem ent circuses." The boy mutters.

"Hmm?" This time Gumi does looks.

"Bread and circuses. People in Rome would put on shows and give out bread."

"How does that have to do with anything?"

"Panem. The Hunger Games are the circuses. I'm still not exactly sure." 

"You do make a good point."

The silence is deafening.

"Yuuma?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you JUST starting talking to me?"

"You're on the roof alone, and you've clearly changed a lot."

"How so?" Gumi's green eyes narrow.

"At first you were scared. Helpless. Now it's like you're only focused on killing. Emotionless."

Her eyes narrow more, but he doesn't seem to notice. "How would you know what I'm feeling? You barely even look at me."

"I know a lot more about you than you'd think, Megpoid." 

With that, he stands and leaves.

~~~

Rin embraces Len tightly, not willing to let go. Tears run down her cheeks as she screams, "NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE HIM FROM ME!"

"Rin, please!" Katniss pleads, trying to pry her off of her brother. 

"Rin, just this once." Her brother says into her ear.

"NO!" She buries her face into Len's neck, clutching the soft fabric of his shirt in her fists. "Please..."

"We'll see each other again Rin. Please, it'll just be a few hours." Len whispers to her. With one last sob, she lets Katniss drag her away from her twin brother. 

~~~

Mayu looks around the dark hovercraft, barely seeing a thing. Other tributes sit around her, their faces wearing masks of indifference but they're all terrified. She can't see Miku, which makes her spirirts drop.

A lady wearing a black mask and white lab coat comes around wielding a large syringe. "Give me your arm." She says to the girl from 8. Mayu can only tell it's her because of her large, ling blonde hair held back in a ponytail.

The girl (SeeU, if Mayu remembers right) says in a panicked voice, "What is that?"

"Your tracker." The Capitol lady says. She goes to grab SeeU's arm, but the tribute shrieks and pulls her hand away. Within minutes the girl is sedated because of her outburst and the tracker is put in her arm.

When the Capitol lady comes to Mayu, the younger girl lets the lady put the device in her arm without complaint. After that is just a silent ride to the arena. To pass the time, Mayu presses down on the tracker causing her skin to bruise a little. The pain distracts her.

~~~

"Expect something cold." Miriam says as she hands Kaito his long, insulated hoodie and fingerless gloves. Kaito can't help but laugh.

"What is it, love?" Miriam asks him, closing the black closet.

Kaito holds up the gloves. "Fingerless," he says bluntly.

"Mm-hmm..." Miriam says, uninterested. She turns away, inspecting her nails.

"10 seconds." An automated voice says, signalling the time to launch. Without being told, Kaito steps into the tube; within seconds it's closed and he's on his way up.

It's dark for a good five minutes before the sun blinds Kaito. He covers his eyes with the back of his hand and squints to see his surroundings of the arena.

It's nothing that anyone would ever expect.


	8. Chapter 8

A snowy landscape to her right, and a rugged swampland to her left.

Mayu can't believe her eyes. Is that even possible? To make it even crazier, the two biomes are separated by a very straight line of what seems to be ash.

The blonde girl snaps back to reality as she realizes that the countdown is at 15. Quickly she surveys the items in the Cornucopia. Swords, packs of knives, axes, rope- wait, rope? A big bunch of it, for what she's not sure. She also sees machetes, black cases, black backpacks, spears.

Spears! Mayu locks her eyes onto two of the silver weapons, crossed over each other to form an 'x', but an explosion to her right causes her to falter. She looks over to see the girl from 9, blown to pieces. Mayu looks away with all her power, trying to forget the gruesome image.

In the last five seconds of the countdown, Mayu locks eyes with Miku and they nod, making an unsaid agreement.

"Three, two, one."

As soon as the gong rings, she runs.

~~~

Gumi is the first to arrive at the Cornucopia, scooping up the bundle of ropes and throwing it around her shoulder. She knew that the Gamemakers put them there for her. Within seconds, she has two packs of knives and a large backpack.

Just as she's running out, Gumi stumbles on something and almost trips, looking down she sees a shield. Why would there be a shield in the Games? She just shrugs and picks it up. Just as she looks up, she sees the girl from District 1, who has mistakenly worn her hair in pigtails.

Gumi unsheaths the largest knife she has and hurries up to the girl, putting the weapon to her neck. Grabbing one of the long pieces of hair, Gumi says into her ear, "You're overconfident. That's not how you win these Games."

In reply she hears a laugh.

Gumi wraps the hair around the girl's neck tight enough to cut off her air, then slits her neck through her hair. She falls to the ground, suffocating on metallic crimson blood and teal hair.

What a way to go.

~~~

He couldn't have lost her!

Rin had pointed the the snow covered forest, telling him wordlessly to run there. Len had, just after he had picked up two backpacks.

Now he can't find her at all.

Had she run into the chaos which was the bloodbath? The thought makes him choke. He wouldn't know until he either found her or the Gamemakers show the deaths in the sky tonight. If she had died so early on (or at all), Len would never be able to live with himself.

But he keeps walking, the snow crunching under his boots. He walks for what seems like a day, before the cannons go off.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Len counts each in his head. Six innocent children dead within the first twelve hours of the Games. It's not as much in past years, but people are still dead.

As he thinks, a hand grabs his ankle, startling him. He gets ready to fight whith just his bare hands, but is met with a face like his own.

"Rin!" He exclaims, helping her out of the snowpile. She shivers as she shakes snow out of her hood and jacket.

"L-Len..." she stutters, "I ran into another t-tribute and I had to hide. I'm s-sorry."

"No, Rin, don't apologize. You did what you had to do." Len replies, wrapping her in a hug. "How long were you in there?" He asks her, giving her his jacket.

Rin accepts it gratefully as she replies, "A f-few hours..."

Len sighs. "C'mon, we have to find some shelter."

"There's a c-cave back there somew-where." Rin points to the hill behind her. "If we p-pile snow in front of it, it m-might conceal us."

"Let's go," Len says, leading her down the hill. "We can open these in there." He gestures to the two packs slung around his shoulders.

"Len?"

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me?"

"Yeah. Always."

~~~

"She didn't even put up a fight, that girl deserved what she got." Luka says to Kaito, complaining about Miku.

"Didn't she suffocate on her hair?" Kaito asks.

"Yes. That girl from 7 strangled her with her hair and slit her throat." Gakupo tells.

"The bitch took my shield too..." Meiko mutters under her breath.

"Miku was never one for training," Big Al steps in. "She never tried yet she was still selected."

"She could've requested to have someone take her place." Luka says.

Big Al hesitates before answering. "Miku was suicidial. She didn't have any family to speak of and she didn't think that there was any point. I guess the Games were her escape."

Hearing that, Kaito perks up and looks at Meiko. The brunette is looking at the ground, her red-tinted brown eyes misty. He would go over to comfort her, but based on her recent behavior he's not sure he even wants to get near her.

Kaito just wishes that she would understand.


End file.
